COLUMBUS, Ohio – The stakes feel a little higher now at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Ohio State, unbeaten and climbing, walks into Sunday night’s clash with Memphis carrying a 3-0-1 record, a fresh 4-0 demolition of Princeton, and its highest national ranking in nearly two years. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Columbus, with the match streamed on B1G+. Admission and parking, as always for Buckeye women’s soccer, won’t cost a cent.
This is the final tune-up before the grind of conference play. It won’t be a gentle one.
Buckeyes Rolling, Defense Locking In
Ohio State’s start has been ruthless. Four games, three wins, one draw, and a defense that looks increasingly unforgiving.
Against Princeton, the Buckeyes barely let the visitors breathe. The Tigers managed only two shots on goal, both handled calmly by Peighton Northrup, who secured the third shutout of her career. It was the kind of night that explains why Northrup recently earned B1G Goalkeeper of the Week honors. She didn’t just make saves; she controlled the penalty area and allowed her back line to squeeze higher and higher up the pitch.
With that platform behind them, the Buckeyes attacked with freedom.
Schlueter Strikes Early and Late
The tone against Princeton was set almost instantly. In the first minute, Amanda Schlueter pounced, finishing off an early move to give Ohio State a 1-0 lead before the visitors had settled. That opener came with help from Jadin Bonham, who continues to emerge as a creative force, supplying the assist.
The pressure never really eased.
Schlueter later completed her brace from the penalty spot in the dying moments, bookending the performance with goals in the first and last minutes of the match. A striker’s dream, and a defender’s nightmare.
Bonham wasn’t done either. She added a second assist on Elle Britt’s goal, showcasing the vision and precision that are starting to define her role in this attack.
A First for Stevens, A Statement from the Squad
In between those bookend goals, another story unfolded. Off a pass from Callie Tumilty, Mia Stevens scored her first collegiate goal, a milestone moment slotted into a dominant team display. For a side already stacked with attacking options, seeing a new name on the scoresheet only deepens the sense that this group can hurt opponents from almost anywhere on the pitch.
The 4-0 result over Princeton didn’t just pad the record. It reinforced the Buckeyes’ identity: high energy, sharp in the final third, and increasingly ruthless at the back.
Memphis Returns, With History on Its Side
Now comes Memphis.
Thursday’s matchup marks only the second all-time meeting between the programs, but the first one still lingers. The Tigers won that encounter in 2023, and they arrive again as a ranked force from the American Conference, the lone representative from that league in the IWSOC Coaches’ Poll Top 25.
Memphis enters at 2-2-1, battle-tested and fully aware of what a road result in Columbus would mean. Ohio State, meanwhile, holds a 2-1-1 record against current American Conference teams, a solid mark that still leaves room for a sharper statement.
The Buckeyes will want to flip the script from that 2023 loss and close their non-conference schedule with authority.
A Top-10 Team with Something to Prove
Ohio State’s No. 8 ranking in this week’s coaches poll is more than a number. It’s their highest spot since October 2024 and a nod to a program that has built a reputation for big-game success. The Buckeyes already own 47 wins over top-25 opponents in their history, and Sunday offers another chance to add to that total.
This isn’t just another early-season fixture. It’s a measuring stick. A final non-conference exam under the lights, in front of a home crowd that’s starting to sense how good this team can be.
Memphis knows what it takes to beat Ohio State. The Buckeyes know what’s at stake before league play begins.
One last non-conference night in Columbus. A top-10 team on the rise. A familiar spoiler back in town.
Now it’s up to Ohio State to show whether this version of the Buckeyes is built to stay near the top—and to make sure 2023 remains a footnote, not a pattern.
